The present invention relates to the field of preservation of biological specimens. More specifically, in one embodiment the invention provides a method and apparatus for sterilization and/or embalment of corpses and other specimens.
A variety of techniques are available for preservation of biological materials such as corpses. The most prevalent among such techniques is embalming. In an embalming process, natural fluids are removed from the body and replaced with a suitable preservative such as formaldehyde. This process has a number of attributes which have lead to its being widely adopted for corpse preservation.
The embalming process suffers from a number of limitations however. For example, often it is desirable to preserve a corpse for later investigation such as, for example, by medical students and the like. However, the embalming process results in substantial damage to tissues, particularly at a microscopic level. This arises due to physical damage from excess pressure, incompatibility of the preservation fluid with microscopic features of the body, damage to capillaries, interaction of preservation fluid with tissue, and the like. Furthermore, the process generally must be performed by those with sufficient skill in the process, requires a substantial amount of time to perform, and requires specialized facilities, which are often not portable. Consequently, during major disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and the like, bodies often accumulate and contribute to the spread of disease, among other problems. Further, the process does not preserve the corpse for a sufficiently long period of time often requiring additional measures such as refrigeration. Still further, it becomes necessary for involved personnel to be exposed excessively to potentially harmful organisms in the body during the embalming process.
Alternative methods and devices for corpse preservation have been proposed. For example, it has been proposed to irradiate cadavers using x-rays or gamma rays after a heat treatment. An example of such a system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,091 in which a body is placed in a plastic box and the box is heated, then irradiated.
Such systems suffer from a variety of limitations. For example, after the body is irradiated, the container in which the cadaver is contained must remain sealed, sealing thereof being an important part of the process, and the cadaver will immediately begin decomposition after removal from the case. Further, the materials utilized for the case will often degrade when radiation of sufficient energy is utilized, particularly when radiation is applied from a location outside the case.
From the above it is seen that an improved method and apparatus for the preservation of cadavers and the like is desired.